of the contemplated force.  I fear even this will cost more delay than you anticipate, for already the movement of our transports and the gunboats has required more time than I had expected.  We have had dense fogs; there are more mud-banks in the Ogeechee than were reported, and there are no pilots whatever.  Admiral Dahlgren promised to have the channel buoyed and staked, but it is not done yet.  We find only six feet of water up to King’s Bridge at low tide, about ten feet up to the rice-mill, and sixteen to Fort McAllister.  All these points may be used by us, and we have a good, strong bridge across Ogeechee at King’s, by which our wagons can go to Fort McAllister, to which point I am sending all wagons not absolutely necessary for daily use, the negroes, prisoners of war, sick, etc., en route for Port Royal.  In relation to Savannah, you will remark that General Hardee refers to his still being in communication with his department.  This language he thought would deceive me; but I am confirmed in the belief that the route to which he refers (the Union Plank-road on the South Carolina shore) is inadequate to feed his army and the people of Savannah, and General Foster assures me that he has his force on that very road, near the head of Broad River, so that cars no longer run between Charleston and Savannah.  We hold this end of the Charleston Railroad, and have destroyed it from the three-mile post back to the bridge (about twelve miles).  In anticipation of leaving this country, I am continuing the destruction of their railroads, and at this moment have two divisions and the cavalry at work breaking up the Gulf Railroad from the Ogeechee to the Altamaha; so that, even if I do not take Savannah, I will leave it in a bad way.  But I still hope that events will give me time to take Savannah, even if I have to assault with some loss.  I am satisfied that, unless we take it, the gunboats never will, for they can make no impression upon the batteries which guard every approach from the sea.  I have a faint belief that, when Colonel Babcock reaches you, you will delay operations long enough to enable me to succeed here.  With Savannah in our possession, at some future time if not now, we can punish South Carolina as she deserves, and as thousands of the people in Georgia hoped we would do.  I do sincerely believe that the whole United States, North and South, would rejoice to have this army turned loose on South Carolina, to devastate that State in the manner we have done in Georgia, and it would have a direst and immediate bearing on your campaign in Virginia.

I have the honor to be your obedient servant,

W. T. Sherman, Major-General United States Army.